Originally Posted by Nightshade

Tivo pays a flat royalty fee to the MPAA and whoever runs the tv side of it all for fair use. Read your contract when you buy it and pay whatever fee it costs and you will note any modification of the box to transfer to computer or make available outside the box is a violation of FCC laws as well as a direct violation of fair use laws (DMCA).

DVR you pay a fee in the purchase of recording media to offset the copying of their programs and again the same fair use falls into play. Read the manual and you will see it on the first two pages of it in plain english...and 47 other languages probably.